Protecting device



April 1958 H. L. WHEELER 2, 2,074

PROTECTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 16, 1955 i5' 4 Z .WTWQ

[HI EJ214171" rraoso/v 1.. Wl/EELER 2,832,074 Patented Apr. 29, 1958 PROTECTING nnvrcn Hudson L. Wheeler, Evanston, 111., assignor to Wheeler Protective Apparel, Inc., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application December 16, 1955, Serial No. 553,584

3 Claims. (Cl. 2 16) This invention relates to body-protecting shields and the like, such as arm protectors which may be worn by a person engaged in the handling of abrasive or hazardous materials, such as sheet steel, glass, andthe like, for example.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an arm protector of simple and economical construction, manufacture, and assembly, which will provide desired characteristics of arm protection over an extended period of time and even though the device be subjected to hard usage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an arm protector which will be comfortable when afiixed to the arm of the wearer.

Another object of my invention is to provide an arm protector of a novel and improved construction.

These and other objects, features, and advantagesof a novel and improved arm protector according to the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description of an exemplary preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an arm protector according to a preferred embodiment of my device, the arm protector being shown as applied in a desired manner to the arm of the wearer;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the arm protector device shown in Figure 1, the device in Figure 2 being rolled out generally fiat;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, taken on the line ill-ill of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view, taken generally along the line lVlV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view, taken generally along the line VV of Figure 2.

As shown in the drawing, the device includes a generally rectangular sheet of protective shielding such as fairly stiif wire cloth 1t). Straps 12 secured as by rivets 14 to the wire cloth ltl near an edge thereof, are provided to cooperate with buckle means 16 secured to the wire cloth 1d adjacent an edge thereof opposite the straps 12, to permit the device to be strapped about the arm of the wearer as indicated in Figure l.

The buckles is are desirably of a takeup type, including a barbed slide element 20 the barbs 22 of which are adapted to bite or gouge into the associated strap 12 to hold the device in any condition of tightened adjustment. The buckles 16 are held to the sheet as by rivets 23.

The relatively long edges of the wire cloth 10, that is, the edges which in use lie in generally planar paths perpendicular to the arm of the wearer, are desirably bound by resilient stripping 24 having a tubular body portion with a pair of flanges extending therefrom forming a U-shaped receiving member as shown in Figure 4. As there shown, the stripping 24 comprises a piece of elongated hollow tubing 26, desirably of resilient, waterproof nited States Patent Ofitice rubber-like or plastic material. Along one side of the tube, there extends a pair of flanges 28 forming the U-shaped member adapted to receive an edge of the wire cloth 10 therebetween. The Wire cloth edge is slipped between the two flanges 28, Where it is desirably stitched in place as by stitching 29.

Stripping 24 of the general configuration shown pro vides several advantages. the hollow tubing 26 effectively cushion the device on the wearers arm. Moreover, the radius of the tubing 26 provides that the wire cloth 10 is carried somewhat away from the wearers arm. Moreover, inasmuch as the core of the tubing 26 is open at both ends, air is permitted to circulate through the tubing 26. The flanges 28 by straddling the edge of the sheet 10 1 venient means for securing the binding to the sheet.

it should be observed that the binding 30 along the edge of the wire cloth sheet 10 adjacentthe buckles 20 is fairly flat, such as iSIShOWIl in: Figure 5. The desired configuration of the binding 30 and the stripping 24 with respect to thickness is easily observed by comparing the showing of the binding members 32 and 24in Figures 5 and 4 respectively. inasmuch as the binding 30 is desirably fairly fiat, it permits a fairly easy adjustment of the tightness of the arm protector as its edges are overlapped and tightened by the straps 12 and buckles 16. The binding 3a is desirably made of a flexible material such as relatively resilient plastic channeling. It is afiixed to the wire cloth 10 as by stitching 32.

In order to provide for adjustable overlap of the edge associated with the binding 3t), the relatively flat binding 30 extends part-way along the long sheet edge, at least to positions generally adjacent the buckles 16. Thus the ends of the sheet 10 may be adjustably overlapped, even to a small-size position in which the overlying end is adjacent the connecting means carried by the underlying end of the sheet.

A fairly stiff channel member 34, desirably formed from metal such as aluminum, desirably binds the edge of the wire cloth sheet 10 opposite the binding 30 to give desired rigidity along that outer edge of the cloth sheet.

Desirably abutment means are provided to restrain the material being handled from sliding off the sheet. As shown, such means comprises studs 38 such as male members of a so-called snaptype fastener.

It will thus be seen from theforegoing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, that the present invention provides a new and improved arm protector having the desired advantages and characteristics, and accomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention as described. The device may be easily applied and removed from the wearers arm, and is'easily adjustable to accommodate variations in arm size. It is light and cool. Itis easily cleaned, and if desired it may be sterilized by immersion in boiling water. It provides good and effective protection to the arm of the wearer, yet it is comfortable and relatively unobjectionable with regard to freedom of movement.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the type described, comprising a generally rectangular sheet of wire cloth, a plurality of resilient binding strips stitched to the edge portions at opposite sides of the wire cloth, each binding strip embodying an elastic tube portion with a plurality of flanges integrally formed therewith, the flanges adapted to straddle the edge of the sheet of wire cloth and be stitched thereto and the tube portion adapted to carry the sheet spaced First, the resilient walls of provide confrom .the person of the wearer, a generally flat resilient binding stitched along one end edge of the sheet, a metal binding affixed to the other end edge of the sheet, strap means carried by the sheet adjacent the end thereof having the metal binding, and buckle means carried by the sheet near the opposite edge but spaced therefrom to permit overlap of the strap-means-carrying edge of the cloth sheet.

2. A protector device, comprising a generally rectangu lar sheet of protective shielding, a plurality of resilient binding strips stitched to the edge portion at opposite sides of the protective shielding, the binding embodying an elastic tube portion with a plurality of flanges integrally formed therewith, the flanges adapted to straddle the edge of the sheet of protective shielding and be stitched thereto and the tube portion adapted to carry the sheet spaced from the person of the wearer, a generally flat resilient binding secured along an end edge of the sheet, a metal binding afiixed to the other end edge of the sheet, and strap and buckle means carried by said sheet for securing and holding the device about the person of the wearer.

3. An arm protector, comprising a generally rectangular sheet of protective shielding, two resilient binding strips stitched to the edge portions at opposite sides of the sheet of protective shielding, the binding embodying an elastic tube portion with two flanges integrally formed l therewith, the two flanges forming a U-shaped member adapted to straddle the edge of the sheet of protective shielding and be stitched thereto and the tube portion adapted to carry the sheet of protective shielding spaced from the arm of the wearer, a plurality of stud type abutments having central projections extending outwardly from the outer surface of the protective shielding and arranged in a row adjacent one of said binding strips adapted to restrain the material being handled from moving off said shielding, a generallyflat resilient binding strip stitched along an end edge of the sheet of protective shielding, a metal channel member affixed to the other end edge of the sheet to give rigidity thereto, and strap and buckle means carried by said sheet for securing and holding the arm protector about the arm of the wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 856,282 Moss June 11, 1907 1,351,731 Baldwin Sept. 7, 1920 1,741,427 Meyrowitz Dec. 31, 1929 1,851,011 Jensen Mar. 29, 1932 2,138,610 Overly Nov. 29, 1938 2,651,776 Beatty Sept. 17, 1953 

